This is the continuation of my Australia series. During my stay in Melbourne, I took time to drive out to Mornington Peninsula twice. Mornington is a very beautiful place and is about 1 to 1.5 hour's drive from Melbourne. It's suitable for a day-trip and for those who are looking for a trip that is easier than the Great Ocean Road (which would typically require 2 days).
Map
You can get to Mornington via train from Melbourne to Frankston but the limited public transport options in Mornington makes it more sensible to just rent a car and drive yourself down.
Arthurs Seat
The first place we stopped was at Arthurs Seat. It is a small hill from which you can get a good view of the peninsula and the bay. There are BBQ facilities around the park here so you can just pack an icebox with some burgers or hotdogs and make a picnic out of the trip. Do remember to bring coins as the BBQ grill is coin-operated.
The current Arthurs Seat is the 3rd version, with the previous 2 having been moved. You can take a seat and have a view other peninsula. Nearby, you'll find the Arthurs Seat Enchanted Maze which is good for some family fun with hedgerow maze, tube slides and other rides.
Johnny Ripe
Shop 1/1016 Mornington-Flinders Road, Red Hill 3937
Tel: +61-3-5989 6515 website: http://www.johnnyripe.com.au
Tel: +61-3-5989 6515 website: http://www.johnnyripe.com.au
Johnny Ripe (S38 23.179 E144 58.452) is located in Red Hill just at the base of Arthurs Seat hill. It is mainly a bakery but also does small dinner appointments on weekends. You will need to book in advance if you wish to attend dinner there as they are a small operation and are frequently fully booked.
We always stop by Johnny Ripe on trips to Mornington to pack some food to eat at either in the gardens or at the lookout points or at Fort Nepean. It was recommended to me by a foodie friend and I absolutely agree with his praise. It is definitely the best bakery I have tasted in the whole of Melbourne.
Johnny Ripe is famous for their Apple Pies which come in small or large family-sized versions. I have also tried their Meat Pies and they are absolutely superb as well with a crispy, flaky crust and a meaty filling. The other item that was extremely good here is their crème brûlée which I found to be very rich but not overpowering and not too sweet.
Main Ridge Dairy
You really can't visit wine country and not sample the cheeses that go with it. That being said, Main Ridge Dairy (S38 23.248 E144 58.427) is different from most of the other dairy shops in that their cheeses are made from goat's milk. They have a wide selection of hard and soft cheeses, but with the added distinction of being made from goat's milk.
Angie and I took a tasting platter and we were pleasantly surprised by how good the cheeses taste.
In addition to the cheeses, they also sell a wide variety of home-made jams and chutneys. This place is definitely worth a stop along the way.
Red Hill Bakery
On one of our other trips to Mornington in 2015, Angie and I also stopped by Red Hill Bakery (S38 22.924 E145 01.429) for lunch. This is a small little bakery that serves bread, pies and cakes and is open every day from 7am to 6pm. This is useful as not ever vineyard's restaurants are open on weekdays.
Red Hill Bakery has a very enticing range of cakes and I'll admit I was tempted, but we had already had a light meal earlier. Instead Angie had some chocolate gelato which she enjoyed while I ordered a black peppercorn beef pie.
The black peppercorn beef pie is served with a side of tomato chutney. Overall, I found the pie to be good but not exceptionally so - the filling was decent and I enjoyed the taste of the peppercorns. However, the crust was thin, soft and not very tasteful. It still tastes better than a Four-Twenty pie. :p
Red Hill Cheese
81 William Rd, Red Hill, VIC
In 2016, I revisited Mornington and took the opportunity to visit Red Hill Cheese. The dairy farm is located much further in from the main road and you have to drive on a stretch of unpaved / gravel road to get there but the building and ambience is superb and worth the drive.
Red Hill Cheese serves 2 types of tasting platters, a $5 one and a $10 one. We took the $10 one which had 8 types of cheeses. I found their 2 types of Blue Cheese to be quite good but not over-powering. The dining area was very clean with beautiful wood furniture which made us want to take our time in enjoying the cheese.
Fish Fetish
27 Ocean Beach Rd, Sorrento, VIC 3943
Fish Fetish was recommended to me by a friend and I finally got to try it out in 2016. It's a small fish & chip shop located in Sorrento but judging by the crowds, it certainly lives up to its reputation. It's located along the main road in Sorrento with lots of parking so it shouldn't be difficult to find.
We ordered some friend snappers with calamari, some scallops and fries. Overall, the meal was superb. the fish and scallops were fried to perfection but still juicy on the inside... and the chips are top-notch with a nice crispy outer shell and soft on the inside.
The only downside is that the store does not have a lot of sitting room. It only has 2 dining tables inside although the decor is very nice and shaped like a fisherman's hut.
Other Good Places To Eat
In addition to the cheeses, they also sell a wide variety of home-made jams and chutneys. This place is definitely worth a stop along the way.
Red Hill Bakery
Red Hill Cheese
Fish Fetish
27 Ocean Beach Rd, Sorrento, VIC 3943
The only downside is that the store does not have a lot of sitting room. It only has 2 dining tables inside although the decor is very nice and shaped like a fisherman's hut.
Other Good Places To Eat
Another good place to grab a bite is Red Hill Cheese (S38 22.188 E144 59.202) which is famous for their cheese platter. Coincidentally, Red Hill Cheese is located right next to Main Ridge Estate (S38 22.191 E144 59.199) where you can find a nice selection of wine to complement your cheese platter.
Another famous place to have lunch or dinner is:
10 Minutes By Tractor (S38 23.554 E144 59.590)
1333 Mornington-Flinders Rd, Main Ridge VIC 3928, Australia
Tel: +61 3 5989 6455 website: http://www.tenminutesbytractor.com.au
Tel: +61 3 5989 6455 website: http://www.tenminutesbytractor.com.au
Reviews: TripAdvisor
While not strictly a place to eat, you can also shop for some very good honey at Pure Peninsula Honey (S38 14.221 E145 06.46).
Fort Nepean
Typically, on all my trips to Mornington, I will always drop by Fort Nepean. It is a former military base as well as a former quarantine centre that is situated in one of the most beautiful and scenic locations in Victoria.
Fort Nepean is situated at the most southern tip of the peninsula and guards the entrance into Philip Bay. It is located on a thin strip of land where if you look on the northern-side, you will see the calm clear waters of the bay but if you turn around to the southern-side, you will see the raging waves of the open ocean.
This location is also where the then-Prime Minister Harold Holt disappeared while swimming in the ocean. We have to admire the Australians in how their view their Heads of State in that they thought it fitting to dedicate a memorial to their missing Prime Minister, and the memorial they chose is a swimming pool - perhaps a tribute to the folly of facing the rough seas armed with nothing but swimming trunks.
You normally have to park your car near the visitor centre and then either take a bus or walk or cycle up to the Fort Nepean lookout. The walk out is about 3km and can take about 40mins to walk. The bus ride is about AUD10 for 2 ways. It is recommended to pack some bottles of water with you as it can be quite dry and hot out there (especially in summer).
The lookout point here has a very good view and we would frequently sit on the bench and enjoy our pies (that we bought from Johnny Ripe).
Fort Nepean is situated at the most southern tip of the peninsula and guards the entrance into Philip Bay. It is located on a thin strip of land where if you look on the northern-side, you will see the calm clear waters of the bay but if you turn around to the southern-side, you will see the raging waves of the open ocean.
At the fort, you can also see left-over artillery shells on display. There's also a series of tunnels running through the forts allowing soldiers to move from one place to another without being exposed. You can spend some time looking through the tunnels or you could choose to walk back to the parking lot (instead of taking the bus). If you walk back, you'll be able to stop by and visit some of the many other forts along the way, including the Quarantine Centre.
Another good option is to bring your own bicycle and could have a nice ride from one fort to another.
On my first trip there, we missed the last bus at 4pm and had to walk back. On the walk back, we saw this sign beside the road that sent a chill down our spine.... :p
London Bridge Lookout
Incidentally, there are 2 rock formations called London Bridge in Victoria. The bigger one is along the Great Ocean Road. The smaller one is near Point Nepean (picture on left). The GPS coordinates are S38 19.753 E144 41.695. It is a beautiful rock formation and you can actually walk out to it at low tide.
Cape Schanck Lighthouse
Cape Schanck Lighthouse & Museum (S38 29.548 E144 53.209) is located further to the south for a great view. You can actually arrange to book a room to stay overnight at the lighthouse but the facilities are pretty basic. It's more for the novelty of experiencing the conditions the lighthouse workers used to stay in.
While the lighthouse tour costs money and bookings must be arranged in advance, there is a great walking trail and viewing deck beside the lighthouse which is spectacular and way more interesting. The boardwalk leads all the way down to the rocky beach, allowing you to walk up to the waters edge and experience the power of the rough waves.
Fort Nepean is situated at the most southern tip of the peninsula and guards the entrance into Philip Bay. It is located on a thin strip of land where if you look on the northern-side, you will see the calm clear waters of the bay but if you turn around to the southern-side, you will see the raging waves of the open ocean.
This location is also where the then-Prime Minister Harold Holt disappeared while swimming in the ocean. We have to admire the Australians in how their view their Heads of State in that they thought it fitting to dedicate a memorial to their missing Prime Minister, and the memorial they chose is a swimming pool - perhaps a tribute to the folly of facing the rough seas armed with nothing but swimming trunks.
You normally have to park your car near the visitor centre and then either take a bus or walk or cycle up to the Fort Nepean lookout. The walk out is about 3km and can take about 40mins to walk. The bus ride is about AUD10 for 2 ways. It is recommended to pack some bottles of water with you as it can be quite dry and hot out there (especially in summer).
The lookout point here has a very good view and we would frequently sit on the bench and enjoy our pies (that we bought from Johnny Ripe).
As you walk down the slope to the further point in Fort Nepean, you can see across the bay to Queens Cliff and Geelong. The sea is very beautiful but there are signs everywhere warning that swimming is not allowed. Spaced out in between, you'll be able to see small concrete pillboxes for soldiers to keep an eye out for Japanese during WWII.
You'll also be able to see several artillery guns used to defend the fort during WWII. There is also a retractable gun turret that can raise an artillery gun from its hidden position in the fort. The mechanism and turret can still be viewed although the gun has been removed.
Fort Nepean is situated at the most southern tip of the peninsula and guards the entrance into Philip Bay. It is located on a thin strip of land where if you look on the northern-side, you will see the calm clear waters of the bay but if you turn around to the southern-side, you will see the raging waves of the open ocean.
Another good option is to bring your own bicycle and could have a nice ride from one fort to another.
London Bridge Lookout
At the London Bridge Lookout, the waves are very rough but there are people who will still go surfing here. There is also a lookout point where people can go hangliding here. The winds are very strong which makes it a suitable spot.
Cape Schanck Lighthouse
Other Spots To Visit
Some other spots which are good to visit include the Peninsula Hot Springs (S38 24.345 E144 50.594) which has a hotel that you can stay over night.
Some other spots which are good to visit include the Peninsula Hot Springs (S38 24.345 E144 50.594) which has a hotel that you can stay over night.
It's important to plan your journey and what you want to see as you will normally have limited time and the places to visit are far apart and close by 5pm.
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